You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
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Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#2Anyone have any good counter arguments to articles like this? That there is a use case that makes sense?
I’ve been trying to find one and can’t, but it hasn’t stopped major corporations like IBM, who I would expect to jump on the hype train, but even AWS is embracing it to a degree with their latest announcements.
Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#3I hate the blockchain hype. I think most uses can be solved by a simple database hosted by a trusted authority. Yet, just reading the first two samples, I already disagree with them.
Re the 1st one: it's true only if the transporter doesn't risk anything if the sensor is tampered with. As soon as you introduce strong fines and/or consequences if a validating authority randomly checks your goods and discover some tampering, the system is a bit more likely to be trusted. But of course, in such a case, you might as well just host the temperature log with the validating authority (like it's done for Concrete, or in the Auto industry).
The second one is even more compelling: of course the trust chain stops when the trust chains stops ! But if every luxury Louis Vuitton handbag is tracked and you know precisely whether it's been sold or whether it's supposed to be sitting on a shop shelf somewhere, you have zero risk of double sell (or at least, within the same limits as a bitcoin double-spend).
Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#4Not every engineering solution needs to make sense exclusively within the engineering domain.
Some engineering solutions have purely business justifications.
For example, take a look at the Tesla Model X and its Falcon Wing Door. It is very clearly a stupid design from an engineering perspective, but is sufficiently unique to have its own name. It also very obviously draws everyones attention when used and draws attention to the product which further promotes it. So while everyone else has normal doors ... you have special doors. On top of that, the owner can say that they have an SUV without those pesky mini-van doors which obviously work better, but then you're driving a mini-van.
Similarly, while everyone else is using a vanilla database that does its job and warrants no special attention ... we're using blockchain! We're new, we're special, etc.
It's marketing, not engineering.
Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#5Not every engineering solution needs to make sense exclusively within the engineering domain. Some engineering solutions have purely business justifications. For example, take a look at the Tesla Model X and its Falcon Wing Door. It is very clearly a stupid design from an engineering perspective, but is sufficiently unique to have its own name. It also very obviously draws everyones attention when used and draws atte…
+1 I've had success selling corporations "blockchain," but really what I'm selling is products/systems to improve badly outdated infrastructure. "Blockchain" is just what they need to tell their bosses in order to get approval for badly needed improvements.
Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#6Anyone have any good counter arguments to articles like this? That there is a use case that makes sense? I’ve been trying to find one and can’t, but it hasn’t stopped major corporations like IBM, who I would expect to jump on the hype train, but even AWS is embracing it to a degree with their latest announcements.
There's one I like: the farmer has a veal and introduces its date of birth on the blockchain.
The veterinary that comes to check it posts a validation mark on the blockchain. If you trust the veterinary, you should trust the birthdate.
The veal grows up to become a cow, and is sent for slaughter. The farmer stores an event on the blockchain and sends it to be cut into meat.
The slaughterhouse stores an event (with the weight) on the blockchain and sends it for distribution.
The butcher creates the packets of meat, with a QR-code which lets you check the whole list of events, with their dates and places, and of course, you can check that the same part of beef doesn't end up in two different shops. You have complete traceability of your meat despite all the actors not knowing each-others.
Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#7Not every engineering solution needs to make sense exclusively within the engineering domain. Some engineering solutions have purely business justifications. For example, take a look at the Tesla Model X and its Falcon Wing Door. It is very clearly a stupid design from an engineering perspective, but is sufficiently unique to have its own name. It also very obviously draws everyones attention when used and draws atte…
Good points, as it were, in 10 years when your "Falcon Wing Door" breaks because it's got a fraction the engineering time and lessons learned over 100 years of car door mechanisms you're going to be envious of people with those boring old regular doors.
In 10 years when your blockchain is no longer supported by the developers and your new team has no idea how to manage it, it's showing it's age, it's breaking, you're going to be envious of people with those boring old databases.
Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#8Anyone have any good counter arguments to articles like this? That there is a use case that makes sense? I’ve been trying to find one and can’t, but it hasn’t stopped major corporations like IBM, who I would expect to jump on the hype train, but even AWS is embracing it to a degree with their latest announcements.
There's one I like: the farmer has a veal and introduces its date of birth on the blockchain. The veterinary that comes to check it posts a validation mark on the blockchain. If you trust the veterinary, you should trust the birthdate. The veal grows up to become a cow, and is sent for slaughter. The farmer stores an event on the blockchain and sends it to be cut into meat. The slaughterhouse stores an event (with th…
And you need to trust each and every one of these people not to lie.
That's the key issue: Bitcoin works, because Bitcoins are "born" on the blockchain.
Anytime you need to relate real-world concepts to the blockchain, you need trust again. As you said: "if you trust the veterinary".
Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#9I'm reminded of the helpful "How to decide if blockchain is right for your project" flowchart (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DPFvZuqU8AAeU0C?format=jpg) from @MalwareTechBlog.
Re: You Do Not Need Blockchain: Popular Use Cases and Why They Do Not Work
#10Anyone have any good counter arguments to articles like this? That there is a use case that makes sense? I’ve been trying to find one and can’t, but it hasn’t stopped major corporations like IBM, who I would expect to jump on the hype train, but even AWS is embracing it to a degree with their latest announcements.
The only application i can think of is proving something existed at a certain date by putting the hash in the blockchain.
Op says it won't help authorship since earlier real author can claim he didn't use the blockchain but it's still helpful to prove something simply existed.